Kent County Jail's ICE contract separates families, critics say

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Hundreds of people are expected to protest the Kent County commission meeting Thursday morning with a single demand: end the county's jail contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"We want to leave that office making sure the contract is canceled," said Karla Barberi, a volunteer organizer with Movimiento Cosecha GR. "They're profiting from this whole issue -- the separation of families."

The Kent County Board of Commissioners meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, June 28, in room 310 of the County Administration Building, 300 Monroe Ave. NW.

In 2017, the Kent County Sheriff's Office kept 185 people jailed at the request of ICE, resulting in a revenue of $17,935, according to county spokesperson Lisa LaPlante. The jail's budget that year was $36 million.

LaPlante said a Freedom of Information Act request must be filed to obtain detainment data for years prior.

Most 2017 Kent County detainees were held for one day, but nine of them were held for two days and eight for three days until ICE officers could pick them up for possible immigration proceedings, LaPlante said.

ICE did not return requests for comment.

Under the contract, the sheriff's office can bill ICE for $85 for each day of detainment, plus $30.47 an hour for regular time guard service and $45.66 for overtime service.

There were 202 days of detainment last year, or $17,850 worth.

Barberi argues the cash incentive drives profiling and the number of people arrested for minor infractions.

She recounted a story of an immigrant single mother arrested for not having a license while her 16-year-old, who had a permit, drove the car.

"We deal with this every single day in the community," she said.

The process of detainment begins with arrest on various charges, from minor traffic violations to criminal sexual conduct. The person is booked at the jail, and their fingerprints are transmitted to state and federal databases.

When ICE receives the prints, they might request a detainment request on a suspected illegal immigrant.

The detainment requests are not mandatory, and numerous jails across the states have been denying them in recent years.

LaPlante claims jails must oblige them.

"It is not discretionary, as ICE is a lawful law enforcement entity and they have a valid request to detain for lawful proceedings," she said.

The difference with Kent County from most jails is that it has a formal detainment contract. The contract affords the jail an agreed cost recovery but allows the release of detainees only very specific circumstances and almost always to ICE officers.

Unless the county bows to pressure, the ICE contract runs through September 2019.

Barberi said she's angry the public wasn't allowed input on whether to renew the contract.

"I am outraged that it was renewed without our consent, without even asking us," she said. "We didn't have a chance to vote, we didn't have a chance to voice our opinion on something so impactful to our community."

Without a contract, LaPlante said the county would continue to honor ICE detainment requests. The only difference is the county could no longer hold detainees for up to three days.

"Without a contract, there would not be a change in process but the hold period would be reduced from 72 to 48 hours, and ICE would have to transport sooner," she said.

LePlante said county officials have not discussed "backing out of a federal contract/mandate."

Before the 2012 contract, the county kept people with ICE detainment holds jailed.

As for compensation, LePlante said "we were not charging ICE immediately preceding the contract being signed in 2012."